Chapter 44: True Nature Revealed
(Aspen's POV)
The stench of decay greeted me as reality came into focus. The air was damp, thick, and reeked of rotting wood and unwashed wolves. I kept my breathing light, shallow, and let my body remain limp. For anyone watching, I appeared weak and unconscious. Inside, though, my mind was racing.
Beneath me, the ground was cold and uneven, shards of debris pressing into my skin. Subtle movements around the den told me that they hadn’t left me unguarded. Outside, I could hear muffled voices—Drake’s wolves pacing, shifting their weight, their patrols restless and poorly coordinated. Just as expected.
I’d been carried here deep into disputed territory, where no laws held sway but survival. The perfect den for rogues to feel at ease. The walls around
